Happy Sebastian!

 Sebastian really looks like a new dog!

His coat looks so much healthier, the large bald areas he had have new hair on them, and he has gained some weight. Look at him here!

 

He's been in the best of spirits, especially now that it has been only 80-some degrees instead of in the high 90s!

 Cutie!

Because I've been incredibly busy with work I've been walking Sebastian every other day sometimes. I try to visit him daily, but on the days I cannot go I've been depending on Cleo, my parents' dog, to provide Sebastian with sufficientexercise. Every day, either in the morning or near evening, Cleo gets these spurts of energy (like in the video) and she gets Sebastian to chase her all over the yard. On days that Sebastian has not been walked, he runs quickly behind Cleo and exerts as much energy as he would with a walk/jog around the neighborhood. Thank you, Cleo! :)

I love these two pics! Above is classic Sebastian-- always wanting to give & receive love! I love his paws!

Sending hugs and kisses to all of you!

Yours Truly,

Sebastian & Julie

A Few Training Pictures

 These are some of the pictures from Sebastian's first day of training!

Here he is waiting for me to walk across the parking lot!
That's my mother holding his leash!

Sebastian's trainer is named Dominique. There she is walking him to the back for the 1-hour session.

After about a half hour, Sebastian began to really catch on to the commands!
He truly is one smart Husky...and who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks!?

We tried using treats and the clicker to train Sebastian, but he just let the treats fall out of his mouth and his ears were bothered by the click. You know what he responded to? Love and affection! We've been showering him with love and praise when he follows his commands and he's been doing an amazing job! Good, Sebastian!

:::Sebastian playing with some flowers:::

 Just thought you guys would enjoy these sweet pictures  :)

 

VIDEO: Sebastian & Cleo!

Cleo is my parent's fun & silly, 4-year old dog! We were worried that she would not accept Sebastian, but today her playful spirit outshone her fear. In this video, you can see how Cleo taunts Sebastian to play, and how Sebastian tries to follow her game. :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sOTZNbCnac&sns=em


We're so glad Cleo & Sebastian are becoming fast friends! Enjoy! ;)





         Love,

Julie & Sebastian

VIDEO: Sebastian Says Thank You!!

Hi, darling Sebastianites! :)


Please view Sebastian's video in which in he says thank you for all of your love & help!


Here's the YouTube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W8luIOMg48&sns=em


         Enjoy! :)

Jheuli & Sebastian

When my parents agreed to foster Sebastian my dad's main concern was how his dog, Cleo, and his cats, Emily & Chego, would react to Sebastian-- and how he would react to them. I offered to buy a large crate for Sebastian so that he could be put in there during the time the Three Amigos used the yard. Instead of paying $200 dollars for a humane-sized crate my dad told me to buy the building materials & that he would create a large one for Sebastian.

My dad began to assemble the lattice and cut the wood beams as soon as the materials were brought over to the yard. We thought Sebastian would be scared by the commotion, yet he followed my dad back and forth from the garage to the yard! He was so interested in him and what he was doing!

Here's the kennel half way done! The dimensions are 6'x 4'-- large than the "suite" at the Petsmart pet hotel! :)

Even when the kennel was not complete, he demanded to use the space. I think he knew it was being made especially for him :) Silly Sebastian!

Here's the completed kennel! On the opposite side there is an inconspicuous door that my dad made. :)   To prevent Sebastian from knocking it over my dad reinforced the whole thing with metal rods that fastened the structure to the ground! Sebastian already goes in there on his own to hide his big cow rib and relax.

Here's Sebastian, nice & clean, in his comfy crate inside the kennel. So far, we've closed the door for 30-minutes at a time. He barks just a bit before he gives up and plops on the floor to rest. :)

The gardener will be coming by in  few days. He'll be happy to know that the big dog in the back yard has his own play pen to hang out in while the bushes are being trimmed! ;)

Thank you, dad, for being so accommodating! This is more than I asked or even wished for! You are so understanding of how important Sebastian's well being is to me and I love you for being so supportive of him...and me! I think you just earned yourself a dad of the year and foster-parent of the year medal!! Love you so much!!

Sebastian did pretty well at the vet's today. He was a little anxious--whimpering & not wanting to go to the service area. But, I attribute his behavior to all of the moves & changes he's had in the past week. At the end of the day he came out clean & fresh, ready to be taken to my parents' house. He was very happy to back in their yard and soon after he got there he went into a shady part under the bouganville and rested. 

Always smiling....

 

    Oh, Sebastian...you're so sweet :)

Sebastian & I apologize for being out of touch these past days! We've had a rough, hot week, but all is well now!

Sebastian has been moved to my parents house where he will be able to stay much longer than at Tomiko's house. The more consistency Sebastian experiences the faster his skin condition will improve-- especially in this scorching heat wave we've been experiencing in the Los Angeles area for the past week! (I hope you're all staying fresh!!)  Also, since Sebastian is getting neutered this Saturday he needs a really stable, calm place so that he feels the least amount of stress possible & recuperates with ease.

So, you'd be happy to know that Sebastian is doing super well at my parents house! He has company all day so he's loving it! :) Also, my parents installed a water mister to keep Sebastian cool and my father has been so amazingly kind that he even built Sebastian a kennel in the shady part of his back yard!! Thank you, dad!!! You are unbelievably wonderful!! 

Sebastian started training classes last Friday! He is incredibly smart and is already responding to wait, sit, "let's run", "leave it", and "okay" (to release him from the command). We purchased four 1-hour long sessions at Petsmart and we're very happy with the trainer! My super sweet and patient mom has been reinforcing the training with Sebastian and he's been very responsive. Sebastian really is so happy to be around my mom & dad. :)

 I'll send pictures of the training, the kennel building process, and A VIDEO of Sebastian once he is back from his medicated bath today! :D

For now, please enjoy some pics of him leisurely chewing a huge bone Fabio, my boyfriend, treated him with! :)

 

 

       Sending wagging tails and loving kisses!

Julie & Sebastian

     Sebastian's Newest Fiscal Update!

  Amount Paid for Medical Care to Date:       

        $630

         Estimate for medical care: 

          $1,040+

              Fundraising Goal:               

            At least $900

          Amount Fundraised to Date:

          $828! 

        Amount needed to meet base goal:  

           $72! 

 THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE HELPED US GET CLOSER & CLOSER TO OUR GOAL!!! WE'RE ALMOST THERE!! :D

Sending all of you the greatest love!

We have received a number of new donations. Various are from the wonderful people at StudyPoint-- the best tutoring company in the entire US! :D

Thank you, Amanda M., for your kindest contribution of $25!! Your amazing generosity is appreciated from the bottom of our hearts and the amount you shared will be used towards Sebastian's neutering next week. You have brought us so much closer to our base goal for Sebastian and I cannot thank you enough for that! You are simply wonderful!! Thank you & may a plethora of blessings befall on you for your kindess!! We appreciate you so much!

Thank you, Jessica L., for your generous donation of $10!! You cannot believe how helpful your donation is. $10 is what has added up so many times to complete the hundred dollar mark. Your contribution helped us get beyond the $800 mark and we thank you so very much for that. May your kindness be reflected back to you in multiplied abundance!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Thank you, Greg Z. for gracing Sebastian with a $50 contribution!! My jaw dropped when I saw your figure come up in Sebastian's account! That will cover the antibiotics, the pain medicine, and a portion of the IV fluids Sebastian will need for his neutering next week. Thank you for helping sweet Sebastian heal and for sharing your kindness with us. We deeply value your compassion and goodwill! You are fanstastic-- and you run the best tutoring company ever! ;)

Thank you Richard L. for your  wonderful gift of $20!! Your donation was given to me 2-3 weeks ago, but I did not receive your name until yesterday. So, as much as I wanted to account for your generosity I couldn't do it until I knew who to thank!! Thank you deeply for helping Sebastian since the get-go! Thank you for believing in his plight and for keeping his hope and mine alive with your support! You are so appreciated! May your kindness be reciprocated when you also need it most!!

And, last, but not least, thank you, Beta, Woolerz, and Sandy Starchild, for your THIRD contribution of $20!! You three make our heart smile! If we were across the country in Pennsylvania Sebastian and I would inundate you in thank yous and he'd probably topple you to the floor with kisses! Your comment on the PayPal message was sweetly hilarious-- we have the same sense of humor! Are you children's book writers? If not, you should consider it. Your comment made us imagine a fantastically fun journey a child and a magical dog would take through the sky! ;) Thank you for supporting Sebastian. Thank you following his progress and thank you for sharing your joy & generosity with us! We are deeply appreciative and send you the warmest wishes! :D

Sebastian received his 5th Mitaban bath & Ivromectin injection yesterday! He did super well and Below is the receipt of what Sebastian had done.

There are two vets that run the hospital-- a father & son. The father vet saw Sebastian this time and decided that Sebastian should have a skin scraping at the next bath. Also, he confirmed that Sebastian no longer has an ear infection and that he gained yet another pound since last week! Woohooo! :)

The vet has also given the okay for Sebastian to get neutered so I will be setting up that appointment for next week. I'll keep you posted on when the date is and how all of that goes!

 We're so happy Sebastian is adjusting well to his new foster home! His new foster family has 30 years of experience with dogs and it shows-- they're so in-tune with animal behavior. Sebastian is getting much love and attention, too. :)

In the background you can see 2 of Sebastian's new house mates. Zoe, the caramel colored sweetheart sitting back, is whose approval we're waiting for. She's made great strides, but she still isn't totally sure about Sebastian. She'll come around soon enough, though, as Sebastian is irresistible!

 Sniffing the premises for messages, names, and treasures (a.k.a. treat remnants)!

     

    Huskies naturally like being with other dogs. I think Sebastian feels like an important, instinctual need of his is being met-- that of being with a pack. I'm glad sweet Sebastian has doggy playmates to spend some time with for the next 1 - 1.5 months or so. :)

I'll keep you posted on his progress! :D

Love!

Julie 

Andrea, Sebastian's Fairy God-Foster, took these pictures a few days before Sebastian was transferred to Tomiko's house. You can see the bond they have and how silly and sweet Sebastian is. :)

Andrea said that Sebastian is the best brother she's ever had :)

                                        

This one below is my favorite...

Thank you, Andrea, for helping Sebastian so much this past month.... I am sure he will miss you as much as you said you'll miss him....He totally loves you! :)

       Sebastian's Newest Fiscal Update!

  Amount Paid for Medical Care to Date:       

        $555

         Estimate for medical care: 

          $1,040+

              Fundraising Goal:               

            At least $900

          Amount Fundraised to Date:

          $703! 

        Amount needed to meet base goal:  

           $197! 

Sebastian's next appoint will be Wednesday, 8/8. He'll be getting his 5th Mitaban dip & Ivromectin injection, and a skin scraping to check how much more treatment is needed. By the way~ Sebastian is at 61 lbs now! He still has a ways to go, but he is definitely filling up as the weeks pass! More updates to come. :D

Oh my goodness! Sebastian received another $25 from the Pepper Foundation!! 

We are now only $197 away from our base goal! Wooohoooo!! 

Thank you, Julie Chadwick, for spreading the word about our magical Sebastian and for securing a donation for him. Please thank the generous angel that shared her/his goodness with Sebastian! We appreciate them infinitely and send them our deepest love! 

May a plethora of blessings befall on them & you soon!

Love,

Julie & Sebastian

Sebastian will be transitioning to a new foster home this Sunday, 8/5!

 Sebastian is so grateful for the 1 month Robert & Andrea gave him. Both of them took care of giving him his medicine, dropping him off at the vet on Saturday mornings for his medicated baths, taking him for walks when they could-- Andrea would even sleep outside with Sebastian so he wouldn't feel lonely!!  Andrea (who is only 16!) is a genuine sweetheart! Thank you so very much, guys, for all the time you dedicated to Sebastian! I can tell he truly loves you & is thankful for the way you've helped him recuperate. :)

For the next 1 - 2 months Tomiko will be fostering Sebastian! :D

 She has 4 dogs of her own and, so far, 3 of them have done relatively well the past 2 times they've met. One of her loving dogs, Zoe, isn't completely taken with Sebastian yet, but she's made progress. We're hopeful she'll let him join the pack soon! Sebastian is so ready to be a part of the team-- Huskies like being with other dogs :)

I'm dropping off these goodies at Tomiko's house tomorrow in preparation for Sebastian's arrival! Notice the new lead on the top right-- Tomiko will be training Sebastian how to properly walk on a leash! You should see how well trained her 4 dogs are-- and she's trained them herself. :D

We'll keep you posted on Sebastian's transition!

Much love to you all!

Julie & Sebastian